Automatic chain and anchor washer



May 25, 1954 J. R. HELEBA AUTOMATIC CHAIN AND ANCHOR WASHER 2Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 30, 1953 IN V E-'N TOR. J? 27 lie/gba. BY

fffyffmazgfmww man A YTUQNEYS May 25, 1954 J. R. HELEBA 2,679,225

AUTOMATIC CHAIN AND ANCHOR WASHER Filed Jan. 50, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 II I I I I I @I I I I l I /hunuh I l {Qwn I-( I 'I I I .I I I I I I f I`II I I INVENTOR.

Patented May 25, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE AUTOMATIC CHAIN ANDANCHOR WASHER John R; Heleba, Center Rutland, Vt.

Application January 30, 1953, Serial No. 334,180

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for clean- 'ing the cables or anchorchains and anchorsof vessels, and more particularly to an improveddevice for washing mud, clay and similar debris from the anchor chainand anchor of a vessel when the anchor is pulled up.

. A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedanchor chain and anchor washing device which is simple in construction,which involves a minimum number of parts, and which provides a thoroughwashing action on the anchor chain and anchor of a vessel when theanchor is pulled up.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improvedwashingdevice for cleaning the anchor chain and anchor of a vessel, said deviceinvolving inexpensive parts, being durable in construction, andproviding a means of washingdebris such as mud or the like from allparts of an anchor chain and anchor of a vessel.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational viewof the forward portion of the hull ofa vessel equipped with an improved anchor chain and anchor washingdevice constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken on the line 2--2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal cross sectional view takenthrough the hawse pipe of the vessel illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 3.

Referring to the drawings, II designates the hull of a vessel, said hullbeing provided with a hawse pipe I2 which slopes downwardly andoutwardly from the deck I3 of the vessel and which is connected to theintermediate portion of an enlarged, anchor-receiving recess I4 formedin the side of the hull II. Designated at I5 is the anchor chain whichis wound on the drum of a conventional windlass I6, and designated at I1is the anchor, said anchor being connected in the conventional manner tothe end of the chain I5. The chain I5 passes through the hawse pipe, asillustrated in Figure 1.

As shown in dotted view in Figure 1, the windlass I6 may be operated topull the chain so that the anchor may be substantially fully housed inthe hawse pipe and recess I4, the anchor stock I8 being substantiallyfully receivable inside the recess I4.

CII

Designated at I9 is a helically coiled main conduit which extends aroundthe hawse pipe I2, the helically coiled conduit I9 being substantiallycoextensive in length with the hawse pipe and being connected at itsupper end through a valve 20 to a pipe 2| which is in turn connected toa source of water under pressure. The convolutions of the conduit I9eachhave a plurality of spaced conduits 22 projecting therefrom with thefree ends thereof connected in communication with the inturn of thehawse pipe I2 so that they are directed toward the axis of the hawsepipe, as shown in Figure 2. The lower end of the helically coiledconduit I9 is provided with the closure plug 23, shown in Figure 3.

Designated at 24 is an additional conduit which is disposed around themargin of the enlarged anchor-receiving recess I4, as shown in Figuresl, 3 and 4, said conduit 24 being connected to the recess I4 by aplurality of uniformly spaced, inwardly directed, substantially radialconduit elements 25 extending from the conduit 24 to the wall of therecess I4. As will be clearly apparent from Figure 3, the inwardlydirected radial conduit elements 25 are arranged substantially aroundthe entire circumference of the recess I4 and are directed inwardlytowards its axis. As shown in Figure 3, the conduit elements 25 may beinclined slightly outwardly. One end of the conduit 24 is provided withthe closure plug 26, and the other end of the conduit 24 is connectedthrough a valve 21 to the water supply pipe 2|.

In operation, the chain I5 may be washed as it is pulled upwardly by thewindlass I6 by opening the valve 20, whereby the chain is washed by theinwardly directed water jets emerging from the conduit elements 22. Asthe anchor I1 is drawn upwardly into the hawse pipe, the stem thereof isWashed by the water jets from the conduit elements 22, and the remainderof the anchor may be washed by opening the valve 21. The valve 21 isopened when the anchor has been drawn upwardly to the dotted viewposition thereof shown in Figure 1, wherein the stock I8 of the anchoris substantially completely housed inside the recess I4. The opening ofvalve 21 allows the water under pressure to enter the conduit 24, andprovides inwardly directed, substantially radial jets of water aroundthe margin of the recess I4, said jets acting upon substantially theentire surface of the anchor stock I8, as well as on the stem of theanchor to clean the anchor completely and to remove all mud, clay, andsimilar debris therefrom. After the cleaning 3 operation, the valves 21and 20 may be closed, and the anchor may be retained in its elevatedposition as long as necessary.

As shown in Figure 3, the inwardly directed conduit elements 22 arepreferably inclined at an angle of approximately 45 with respect to theaxis of the hawse pipe I9, the inclination of the conduit elements 22being such that the debris Washed from the anchor chain and anchor willbe carried downwardly throughthe hawse pipe and out Aof the `recess i4.

While a specic embodiment of an improved anchor chain and anchorcleaning device for a vessel has been disclosed in the 'foregoingdescription, it will be understood that various modiiications within thespirit of the invention'may occur to those skilled in the art.Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the inventionexcept as deiined by the scope-or" the appended claims.

`-What is claimed is:

i1. In a vessel having an anchor chainfan'd.- an :anchor attachedthereto, means for cleaning the chain and anchor comprising a hawse pipeslop- Ving,downwardly and outwardly from the deck or A:thev vessel toaside of the vessels hull, a main :conduitxcoiied helically around saidhawse'pipe and being adapted to be connected to a source ofwater .underpressure, and a plurality of spaced conduits :projecting from each ofthe convolu- `tions of said main conduit and having the free end thereof`connected. rin communication with the interior-of said'hawse pipe sothat' they are :directed toward the `airis of said hawse pipe, wherebywater under pressure may be directed ,into/said `hawse pipe to 'cleanthe chain and fanchor.

2.111 a vesselV having an anchor chain and an sanchor'attached thereto,means forcleaning the -chainand anchor comprising a hawse pipe slop `ingdownwardlyand outwardly from the deck of fthe vesseLQthe-side or" thehull of the vessel beine' formed with an enlarged anchor-receivingrecessandthehawse pipel being connected toand terminating at the intermediateportion of said recess, .a main conduitcoiledihelically around Asaidhawse `pipe and beingadaptedV to beconnected to a source o water underpressure, apluv'rality of spaced conduitsprojecting from each "or" :thevccnvolutions of said Vmain conduit and 1having :the free end thereofconnected in communication-.with the interior of saidhawsepipe so thatthey are directed toward the axis ofzsaid fhawsepipa/'whereby waterunder pressure.may rbendirected"hito said: hawse. pipe to f clean ..thechain ,andanchon and means for directing adfditionalwater under pressure`into saidrecess.

3.111 a vessel having. an :anchorr chaingand an :anchor attachedthereto',i means r4for .cleaning the chain and anchor comprising a hawsepipe sloping downwardly and outwardly from the deck of the vessel, theside of the hull of the vessel being formed with an enlargedanchor-receiving recess and the hawse pipe being connected to andterminating at the intermediate portion of said recess, a main conduitcoiled helically around said hawse pipe and being adapted to beconnected to a source `of water under pressure, a plurality of spacedVconduits projecting from each of the convolutions of said main conduitand having Y, the free end thereof connected in communication with theinterior of said hawse pipe so that they:y are 'fdirectedto'ward theaxis of said hawse pipe, wherebywater under pressure may be directedinto said hawse pipe to clean the chain and anchor, and means fordirecting additional water under pressure into said recess, saidlastnamed means comprising a conduit disposed around the margin of saidrecess, means connecting said last-named conduit to `the .source of`waterf-under pressure, and a plurality Iorspace'd inwardly directed`substantially radial conduit elements connectingsaid last-namedconduit-to the wall of said recess.

1i. in a vessel having: an anchor chainandI an anchor attachedthereto,means for cleaning-the chain and anchor comprising a-hawsepipesloping downwardly andoutwardly from the deck of the ve the side of thelhullo the-vessel being 'formed wi -n an enlarged anchor-receivingrecess and the hawse pipe being connected toand teraround the margin ofsaid recess, means connecting saidY second ,conduitto'the' source ofWater -under pressure,^ and a plurality of spaced-inward- Ylydirectedconduit' elements connecting said second conduit to the wall of saidrecess.

References Cited in 'therme of; this patent UNITED ,i STATES; PATENTSNumber i Name `Date .li-25,6@ VilleneuveY Apr. '1,5, 11890 622,833Whitlock Apr, 11,l 1.899 2,546,862 -Marinch Mar. 27,,1951 '12,631,112King. -Mar. 10, 1953

